MSHA reported that on May 8, a miner at U.S. Aggregates’ Flat Rock Plant, Shelby County, Ind., was electrocuted while unloading a roll of belt from a trailer. The miner was performing rigging duties when the crane boom contacted an overhead high-voltage powerline.
This is the fifth fatality reported in 2024, and the first classified as “Electrical.”
MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
- Ensure that booms or masts of equipment are not operated within 10 ft. of any energized overhead powerline.
- Designate one person on the ground, located in a safe location, to give signals to the crane operator and watch placement and proximity of the boom.
- Use non-conducting tag lines to steady loads when operating cranes where overhead power lines are present.
- Post warning signs at all approaches to overhead powerlines; install barricades where necessary.